India gears up for Republic Day celebration

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IBNS) India will be celebrating its 64th Republic Day on Saturday.

This year's parade will highlight the nation's achievements in various fields, the military prowess, scintillating display of air power as also country's rich and diverse cultural heritage.

The highlights of this year's Parade will be the above 5,000 kms range Agni-V missile.

The advanced Long Range Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile capable of being launched from anywhere in any direction and within a few minutes from a self-contained Road Mobile Launcher is being paraded by the Defence Research & Development Organisation.

The state-of-the-art missile, which was successfully flight tested in the month of April last year, has provided the true deterrence capability and brought India at par with the elite group of advanced countries possessing this capability.

A mini version of INS Vikramaditya which will join the Naval fleet by the end of this year is being showcased to highlight Indian Navy's blue water operating capability.

The DRDO will also put on display the Armoured Amphibious Dozer (AAD), an indigenously developed versatile Combat Engineer support equipment with excellent earth moving and amphibious capabilities in varied terrain.

Besides Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System and Naval Sonar will also be on display on Rajpath by DRDO.

The Army`s Mechanized Columns will conclude with a flypast by the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv of the Army Aviation Corps.

The Indian Air Force will showcase its latest acquisitions on its tableau. It comprise the new basic trainer aircraft, the Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II and the new VIP helicopter, the Augusta Westland AW-101. It will also showcase the indigenous 'eyes in the sky' atop the Embraer 145, Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft and the strategic heavy lift aircraft, C-17 Globemaster-III, which will enter service by the middle of this year.

The Indian Navy's tableau depicts a scaled down model of INS Vikramaditya, a large aircraft carrier which will join the naval fleet by the end of this year. The ship is capable of sustaining at sea for more than 45 days at a stretch.

She is also equipped to carry over 30 combat aircraft at any time giving her the freedom to operate and strike anywhere at sea. The Navy's tableau also focusing on INS Chakra, a nuclear propelled submarine.

The parade ceremony will commence at the Amar JawanJyoti at India Gate where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lead the nation in paying homage to the martyrs by laying wreath.

An eternal flame burns at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to commemorate the indomitable courage of our Armed Forces personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. The Amar Jawan, the immortal soldier, is symbolised by a reversed rifle topped by a helmet.

As per tradition, after unfurling of the National Flag, the National Anthem will be played.

The parade will then commence and the President will take the salute.

This year's Chief Guest in the parade will be Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, the King of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.

The parade will be commanded by Lt. General Subroto Mitra, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area. Major General Rajbir Singh, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the parade Second-in-Command.

The Camel-mounted band of the BSF and the Ex-Servicemen marching contingent will be another major attraction.

Tableaux from 19 states and Central Ministries and Departments will present the varied historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the country.

They will also showcase country's progress in different fields.

Twenty one of the 22 children selected for the National Bravery Award-2012 will also participate in the parade. One child has got the award posthumously.

In the children's pageant section, 1,000 boys and girls drawn from Delhi`s two schools, one school fromKendriyaVidyalayaSangathanand one from Eastern Zone Cultural Centre, Kolkata will present dances and other programmes.

Tornadoes, the motorcycle display by the Army Service Corps will be a major attraction of the parade.